Alex Connor believes Arden Motorsport are in contention to retain their Team prize in the forthcoming F4 British Championship.

Arden’s latest trio of recruits rated their chances of victory as preparation for the Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost season continues.

The defending Teams’ Champions continued their testing programme – which began in Spain – back on domestic shores last week, with Connor, Bart Horsten and Tommy Foster all getting behind the wheel at Snetterton and Donington Park.

Connor – son of former Clitheroe resident Janine Connor – is making the step into single-seaters for the first time in 2019 after a successful stint in karting .

The 14-year-old is UAE-born, but races under a British licence, after his mother left the Ribble Valley over 20 years ago to live and work in Dubai.

Janine, who went to Bowland County Secondary School, is the daughter of Beryl Moss, who owned the Victoria Hotel – now Fatface – on the High Street, and is now Managing Director of Xpert Learning – a learning, talent and performance consultancy, which she co-founded in 2003.

And son Alex was quick to praise Arden for helping him bridge that step in his development, with a firm belief that the Red Arrow can challenge at the sharp end of the grid from the start at Brands Hatch in April.

“Testing has gone really well, and I’ve learnt so much in the last couple of weeks.

“The Arden team have been very supportive,” explained Connor.

“I think that we are in a very strong position and that we have a good chance at the Teams’ Championship.

“We’re all looking very competitive.

“It has been quite easy to settle in as I’ve been on the YRDA programme for a couple of years now.

“I’ve made some good relationships with the people at Arden and seen first-hand how the team works.”

He was also quick to echo the praise that British F4’s race-proven, instructive and reliable car regularly receives on an international scale, bridging an important gap between karting and club motorsport to the national and continental stage.

“The car has amazing grip and it really makes you focus that little bit more on each corner.

“The engine and turbo of the car makes a very big difference on entry and exit,” said Connor.

Connor, Horsten and Foster will all be present at Brands Hatch next Wednesday for the official championship Media Day, before another 10-event, 30-race season gets underway at the Kent-based venue over the first weekend of next month.